Am having a custom 375 H&H built because I want to. I have the barrel, action, etc., but have not yet sent it to the smith. I have a friend who has recommended I have it chambered in 375 Weatherby instead. Does seem a reasonable plan? Informed opinions requested.

I'm with Tumbleweed. For another 150 fps you get about another 25 yards point blank range. BFD! You also get more muzzle blast, a touch more recoil and the difficulty of selling such an oddball to someone else. Just because something is possible doesn't make it a good idea. If you need more stopping power than the H&H, velocity isn't what you need, it's frontal area. Go to a bigger caliber. Forthe "go-to" gun for everything nothing, but nothing beats the H&H

'Friends' always seem to be full of 'better ideas'.. ..I'd suggest if HE wants a .375 Wby, that's what HE should build! If you want an H&H, that's what YOU should build.

I think that when most people build, they tend towards the all-time classics, and they don't come any classier than a .375 H&H.

It doesn't matter what you build, there will always be something bigger, something faster, something 'better'. Build what pleases you - and correctly built, there's very few .375 H&Hs that fail to please their owners.

Befus,

I had a ZKK-602 rechambered to .375 Weatherby before Weatherby "brought it back". I thought it would be cool to have something others did not.

The .375 H&H is just fine. The .375 W. will give you about 150fps over the H&H with careful selection of powder. Whether this will mean anything to the animal being hit or not, I will not go into.

Besides the velocity increase, the rarity and you can use two kinds of shells in one rifle, they look cool.

So there you go.

I vote H&H.

If you want a long distance .375, then a RUM or a 378 Wby will fill the bill. But out to 400 yards, the H&H is fine and indistinguishable from the 375 wby.

It will, however, be an advantage to have a rifle in a caliber for which you can easily find ammo. Wal Mart carries 375 H&H, and there is usually some on hand in camp in Africa, so you would be better off with that caliber than the 375 wby just due to ammo availability.

What Tumbleweed and the others said. Go with the 375 H&H and let your friend get the Weatherby if he likes it.